Well-screen



w. E. IvIINIoN.

PatentedJune 1, 19201,.

(Cam. ATToRNEYs.

' WILLIAM E. MINTON, 0F KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

WELL-SCREEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 1, 1920.

Application filed August 12, 1918. Serial No. 249,602.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. MIN'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Well-Screens, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in'a well screen. Y

The object of the invention is to provide a screen of the character described, which is particularly adapted for use in oil wells, and is provided for the purpose of admitting the oil from the surrounding reservoir into the pipe through which it is pumped to the surface of the ground, and for excluding the sand and other detritus.

In the operation of oil wells, an inner pipe is let down into the well within the well and which will casing, and to the lower end of this pipe, there is usually attached a well screen, which is set in the oil bearing strata. The oil is pumped in through this screen from the surrounding reservoir, and passes up through the pipe to which the screen is attached. Various forms of screen are used, but more commonly, the screen consisting of a perfo. rated pipe which is usually wrapped with screen wire, the turns of which are spaced apart, so as to admit the oil, but exclude the sand and detritus. However, the screens now commonly used, will not entirely exclude the sand, and furthermore, the slits between the turns of the wire soon become clogged up, so as to partially and sometimes entirelyshut out the oil. It is the object of this invention to provide a screen of the character described,f and for the purpose specified which will entirely exclude all sand andforeign matter, and yet will freely admit of the infiow of the rounding oil bearing strata into the interior ofthe screen.

Another object of the invention is to provide a screen of the character described, which will be cheaply and easily constructed not readily become clogged.

. With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, arrangement of parts, and use, an example of which is given in this specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1, is a vertical sectional view of '.55 the screen.

oil from the surl' Fig. 2, is a fragmentary view, showing the liner in section.

Fig. 3, is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional' view showingthe screening material removed.

.eferring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of refer-` ence designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1, refers to l the well casing, which is permanently fixed in the well bore, and the-numeral 2, refers to the pipe which is letdown into the well, and through which the oil flows to the surface of the ground. Attached to the lower end of this pipe 2, is the screen. This screen includes a liner 4, and an inner pipe 5, which is concentric therewith, and spaced therefrom. The lower ends of these ,pipes are closed by means of a cap 6. The outer pipe has alternating, perforated and blank sections 7 and 8, and alternating, perforated and blank sections 9 land 10, the perforated sections of the inner pipe being arranged opposite the blank sections of the liner. In other words, the perforated sections of the pipes 4 and 5 are arranged in staggered relation. The inner pipe is wrapped from end to end with burlap, wire mesh, or some other suitable pervious material 11, and this is secured thereon `by means of the tie wires 12, which are wrapped and tied at suitable intervals so as to hold the material securely in place around the pipe. This material practically fills the space between the liner and the inner pipe,

land a gland 13 is screwed on the upper end pipe, and fits closely between of the inner the upper ends of the pipes 4 and 5, so as to protect and hold the wrapper 11.

This screen is attached to the lower end of the pipe 2, by means of the usual cou plin 14.

en the screen is set in the well, the oil flows into the terior thereof, either through fluid pressure -from the reservoir,

or by reason of suction from a pump op.

erating in the pipeV 2, and first enters the perforations of the sections 7, of the liner, and then passes along the space .between the liner and inner pipe until the perforated sections 9 it enters the inner pipe, the oil meanwhile passing through the 'screen material 11,

which excludes all of thesand and other the inner pipe also has are reached through which foreign matter from the oil. By arranging the perforated sections of the inner pipe in staggered relation to the corresponding sections of the liner, there is no direct suction from the pump to the oil reservoir, but the oil is forced to travel a considerable distance from the outer to the inner perfora tions through said screening material, and more sand and detritus is excluded than would be the case if said perforated sections were arranged directly opposite and the oil permitted to flow directly through from the surrounding reservoir into the inner pipe. i

It is therefore noted that the inner pipe 5 is independent of, and may be withdrawn from, the liner 4, when the screen is set in a well and the inner pipe has the annular scraper l5, secured to the lower end thereof, and which fits closely within the liner 4, s0 that in case-the inner pipe is withdrawn, this scraper will clean out all sediment, and the like, which may collect on the inner side of the liner 4.

In some. cases, it may be found desirable to set the inner pipe 5, wrapped with the screening material, as shown, in an`old well, in which case, it may be attached to the lower end of a pipe and set within the perforated pipe already in the well, thus forman effective screen. hat I claim.is: 1. A well screen, including an outer and an inner pipe spaced apart, and fixed in their relation to each other, each of said pipes being provided with perforated sections and intervenin blank sections, the perforated sections o the respective pipes being arranged in staggered relation, screening material within the space between said pipes and a means whereby the inner pipe may be withdrawn from the other.

2. A well screen including an outer and an inner pipe, spaced apart, and fixed relative to each other, each of said pipes being perforated and fabric screening material within the space between the pipes and a means whereby the inner pipe may be withdrawn from the other.

3. A well screen including an outer and an inner pipe, spaced apart, and fixed relative to each other, each pipe having perforated sections spaced apart, the perforated sections of one pipe being arranged in staggered relation with the respect to the perforated sections of the other pipe, a screening fabric surrounding the inner pipe, a means whereby the inner pipe may be withrawn and a scraper carried by the inner pipe for scraping the inner wall of the outer pipe. 4. A well screen including an outer pipe and an inner pipe, said pipes being spaced apart and fixed relative to each other, each pipe having perforated sections and blank sections arranged alternately, the respective sections of the outer and inner pipes being arranged in staggered relation, so that the perforated sections of one pipe will be located opposite the blank sections of the other pipe, a pervious fabric surrounding and secured to the inner pipe and a scraper means carried by one of said pipes for scraping the other pipe. i

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of .two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM E. MINTON. 'Witnessesz J. W. VooDs, IRENE BRUNS. 

